Psalm 48 Sermon Notes

Psalm 48

A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah.

Sermon Notes

Listen

Beautiful For Situation

September 10, 2017

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXHORDIUM

         These Psalms keep accumulating glory. They redound to the glory of God. In this Psalm, the Psalmist praises the holy city, Zion, as the site where God is worshipped and revealed.

         He paints a picture of the glory of the city so that we see the glory of God in the midst of her. He intimates that the city and the temple and city of the great king would last forever and thus the glory of God in her would last forever.

EXEGESIS

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

Our God is great in all the earth. In ancient times, God promised Israel a homeland. He would grant them an inheritance of His choosing. This was the land that God promised to Abraham. And God reiterated those promises to Isaac and to Jacob.

After the deliverance from Egypt, God brought Israel to this Promised Land. David solidified this kingdom and brought the ark of the covenant up to abide in the Tabernacle at Zion.

Zion is called the City of our God. God is not limited to dwell in a city but His special presence did abide at Zion. Later, when Solomon completes the Temple, the shekinah glory of God fills the Temple in a powerful way, particularly over the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant.

What is this mountain? This mountain is the site of the Temple. Historically, it was believed to be the place where Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice.

The mountain is said to be holy. It is holy because God is holy. His holiness is revealed where He is present.

² Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. ³ God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

The city is beautifully situated both for defense and to reveal its glory. This is the city of the great King David. This Psalm obviously refers to that King greater than David.

Mount Zion is on the north side of Jerusalem. Thus, David’s presence there, along with God’s presence there, is where God is known.

The city was not as great in David’s day as it was in later times. Solomon built a great house and he also built the Temple. God would be even more known after Solomon’s day.

This refuge called Jerusalem and Zion reveals that God is our refuge.

⁴ For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. ⁵ They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. ⁶ Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. ⁷ Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

We are not told exactly why these kings had assembled. They do not seem like friendlies. They are likely there to assail the city and the king of the city. This reminds us of the second psalm, when kings and rulers all engage against our Lord and His Christ. We are told there that God holds them in derision and laughs at them.

The Psalmist here is saying something similar. The kings gather together against God and God’s city but they do not accomplish their goals. When they come to the city, they marvel, become troubled and retreat. Fear takes ahold of them. The psalmist even says that they are in great pain, like a woman giving birth. Obviously, if they are in that kind of pain, they are in no condition to fight. God assails them and they have no defense.

God can break them up the same way He can break ships in the sea, with a word, with a breath. We see His great power displayed today in Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. With just a breath, can smash all the ships of Atlantic and the Gulf. He is mighty and no man can stand against Him when  once He raises His Holy and mighty arm for destruction.

8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.

The city is the city of the Lord of hosts. This is the city of the warrior God. If God fights for you, then you shall win. The promise to David was that his throne would be established forever. His throne was at Jerusalem on Zion and therefore, we would assume that His city would also be established forever.

We see that here in this Psalm. God will establish it forever. If this is a Davidic Psalm, which is likely, David had no idea how quickly his kingdom would fall apart. It is a short time before it is split into two kingdoms. The Northern kingdom, centered in Samaria falls to the Assyrians in 722 BC., less than 300 years after David. The Southern Kingdom, centered in Jerusalem, falls to the Babylonians in 586 BC., with the destruction of Jerusalem and of Zion and the Temple, less than 500 years after David. So, forever was about 500 years.

Of course, Israel comes back from Babylon and rebuilds the city and the Temple, but their former glory as a Sovereign nation never returns. The Temple is once again destroyed in 70AD by the Romans and has never been rebuilt.

So, what is the establishment of the city forever? It can only be the New Jerusalem and the New Temple, that was to come down from Heaven. This New Jerusalem and New Temple is not IN Heaven. It comes down out of Heaven. To Where? To the Earth to be established forever.

⁹ We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. ¹⁰ According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

God’s temple is God’s palace. This word is used a few times in the Bible before the actual temple is built. In David’s time, we are to understand it as the Tabernacle, which was a temporary place of worship until Solomon built the temple. God was worshipped at Shiloh and then later at Zion.

In ancient times, the City of God and the tabernacle or temple was the place to think of God’s lovingkindness. The place of worship is the place to remember both God’s righteousness and His lovingkindness.

These two things are not mutually exclusive. When we think of God’s righteousness, we are quickly also reminded of our unrighteousness. Moreover, if we seek His blessing as a nation, how can we also not then think of the grotesque wickedness that regularly occurs in our country? How can we expect God to bless America without some level of repentance from Americans?

God’s name should be synonymous with praise. This is no longer true in our country. If you speak of God in the abstract, come generic god that anyone from anywhere can worship in any way they see fit, Americans are willing to praise that God. Even many Bible believing Christians are complicit with praising the generic god.

But once name Jesus Christ and speak about His law, His rules, His Word, the Ten Commandments, His righteousness and holiness, then the praise turns to gravel. But we are those who exalt the name of the one true God. Let His righteousness and lovingkindness be ever on our lips. He is holy and we must come to Him on the basis of His Son in order to receive His lovingkindness. This is true because you and I need forgiveness for our sins.

¹¹ Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. ¹² Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. ¹³ Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. ¹⁴

The daughters of Judah were to be glad and boast in the work of God. We are to look at the towers of the city and her fortifications and conclude that she is safe from enemies. We conclude this because we know that God dwells here and wherever God dwells, His people are secure from their enemies.

We are to note His fortress in detail. That bulwark saves us from an enemy approach from the north. And that tower can see to the plain. Furthermore, our God is over all and will defend us on every side from every foe.

Not only are we to note these things and take courage from them, we are to tell them to our children and our children’s children. Why are we still standing? Because our God is our refuge in time of need. In Him, we can do valiantly. In Him, we have the victory.

EXHORTATION

City and Towers of God

For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Did you note what the Psalmist did here? He spoke of and praised the city of God, the towers thereof and the bulwarks. And then he equated them all with God. See these great towers, these bulwarks, these palaces? These are our God.

The city is metaphor. Of course, God is not buildings, palaces or defense works. God is a Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth. But the Bible encourages us to look at God’s great works and to know that He is in our midst and will never leave us or forsake us.

What is the city of God now? Where is the New Temple? It is the Christian Church. We should tell all of God’s wondrous works through the ages and the result of the telling should be that we should say this God is our God forever and ever.

He will be our guide unto death. We will serve Him all our days and beyond. Our children and their children should both now the story of God and our story in God. Is He your fortress? How has He delivered you? Do your children understand that with God as your refuge and strength no weapon formed against you can stand?

Does the church, our church, this church and all her glory reveal God’s righteousness and lovingkindness? Does this place of worship give you confidence forever, to death and beyond?

That is our heritage in Jesus Christ. Glory be to God. Amen.